We all like to act as if we’re immune to the vitriol of haters. It’s almost cool to pretend that it doesn’t affect us, like we’re all bulletproof and have some kind of armor against it.

And while that might be a helpful coping mechanism, it’s not really true for most of us. The truth is that this stuff really hurts. What’s more, if you don’t deal with it in the proper way, it can have a major impact on your ability to do work that matters in the world.

Students: Read the entire essay, then tell us:

— In what ways have people hated on you?

— How do you deal with haters? Do you ignore mean comments? Analyze them? Shake them off? Or deal with the negativity and move forward, as Mr. Richards advises?

— Are you ever a hater? Why?

— What do you think of Mr. Richards’s advice to other artists — to move forward and continue your work and don’t just quit because of negative feedback?

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